It All Started With A Tale
by reneencc
Summary: AU"Why did you give your everything away for him?" "He's a friend. An irreplaceable one." "Hmph, humans are such fascinating creatures. Then, I shall see for myself what will come in the friendship you shared." Two who are different yet similar at the same time. One who longed for acknowledgement while the other longed to see the light of the world. Will their friendship prevail?
1. Tale 1: The beginning of a tale

**It All Started With A Tale**

**Tale 1: The Beginning of A Tale**

_Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale. _**~Hans Christian Andersen**

There was once a time when the world was at peace. Various creatures roamed over the planet. Nature itself was a beauty, bringing myriad of hues to the world, creating such special scenery that no creature could possibly match. Centuries passed in peace and harmony. Lives were born and gone all in accordance to the nature's way.

However, things changed drastically when the darkness came. The clouds were no longer white and pure but tainted in dull greyness. Fields that were once blanketed by green were now trampled mercilessly. Their beautiful lively green was replaced by lifeless brown. All seemed to be hopeless as the sky wept for the deteriorating state of the world.

Sins chained the men. They were bounded in heavy shackles of sins, slowly but steadily turning a blind eye on the horrible anguish the world was in. Pride, wrath, sloth, gluttony, greed, lust and envy drove the men away from the flow of the world. They turned selfish and destroyed nature. Everything turned for the worst.

Lusting for blood, wealth, glory and status, men crumpled away. Lives were thrown away like trashes and the world was plunged into darkness.

Days after days, cries of pain, sorrow and despair were heard, echoing from every corner. Heart wrenching calls for the lost ones were left unheard. Screams for violence were everywhere and the soft voices of plead were lost in the turmoil.

Time passed. A small group of people began to realize that they could not afford to go on like this, not anymore. What they did and the consequences of those acts were heavy and excruciating. Thus, they began to fight back against the darkness, against those who brought about the darkness in order to free themselves from the long suffering and guilt that had been haunting them.

Although many fought bravely, none succeeded. They were wiped away and never been seen again. Their efforts were proven to be in vain by a group who went by the name 'Al Tharmen' that had introduced the darkness. One by one, the brave souls fell and hope began to die away once again.

Desperate people cried out and hoped for a chance. Their prayers sounded throughout the space, reaching to a place where no one could reach. They prayed and prayed for a change…a miracle. Finally, for what seemed like millenniums, a bright light emerged and hope arose for men.

Solomon was his name. He was a man of great wisdom and marvellous talents. Little by little, he pried away the darkness from the people's hearts and guided them back to the right paths. People were saved and they learned to believe again.

Their long closed eyes were reopened. More than anything, they were grateful for the light that was bestowed upon them. For that reason, they made Solomon king over them so that he could continue to guide them through the path of life.

All was well for the following decades, Solomon as the king brought light to the people so that they would not be lost. However, Al Tharmen was not willing to let things be. They stubbornly remained as a threat, luring people into the darkness.

Blood was splattered. The dark organization brought wars and threatened the existence of the world. Wars after wars broke out and everything burned in chaos. Devastated by the state the world was in, Solomon used his great magic and set apart the world he united, thus ending the wars. That, however came with a price. Solomon's body was at a limit.

Before he breathed his last, he left a guide for his people so that they would be able to live following the correct path. Even when they had stumbled into the darkness, they would never fail to find their ways out of it.

Solomon gave the world his wisdom and the gift was known as 'the Wisdom of Solomon'.

Even when the wars ended, Al Tharmen was not yet gone. They led many astray to the misconceptions of life and fate. Soon, people returned to their wicked ways despite the guidance Solomon left.

The spirit of Solomon still lived, wandering about the world as tiny life forms. The spirit was in great distress. He called upon the power of the world to aid him and hid away the Wisdom of Solomon, all for the sake of protecting this last hope from being corrupted by the changing flow. He then understood painfully that a day would come when the world fell into the darkness and everything would fade away.

Therefore, he guided a few men with steel hearts and strong spirits to build a country of light in order to battle against the darkness. The country soon split into more and smaller divisions to spread light and hope throughout the entire world.

And so, the tug-of-war between the light and the darkness continued for centuries. Neither side backed down.

What remained hidden till this day was the Wisdom of Solomon. It was said to be able to grant the greatest wish with its vast wisdom and power. Only those with pure hearts could see and seek after it.

"Is it true, Ugo?" A child barely seven asked, clutching onto the thick covered book as if it was the most precious gem in the world. In front of him, the man smiled.

"It's true. If you continue to believe in it, maybe one day you can find it, Aladdin."

The child beamed and leaped away with a bright smile, twirling a bit as he imagined what form the Wisdom of Solomon would take. Would it be glittering and beaming like the stones Ugo shown him before? Or would it be silky soft like the finest silk he touched before?

If the tale was really true, then he had only one wish. One thing that he had ever desired. He reached out towards the sky. Steadying himself, he could catch the blue hue of the sky though the veil before his eyes that never swayed, leaving the sky all a blurry blue in his eyes.

He had only one wish. He wanted to be able to see clearly and be rid of this constant blurriness of his eyes. He wanted to see Ugo's face clearly.

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**This is an experimental project but if I get enough responses I will continue ^^**

**Exam is coming soon. So, good luck to me~ I'll survive, I think...**


	2. Tale 2: Judal

**Tale 2: Judal**

_Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. _**~William James**

It was the same actually, like a broken recorder, repeating the same old tune. Judal would stare up at the tainted ceiling of his poorly excused cell and think. He thought of all that had occurred to him and all that he could have had.

He had grown silent and his words were few and far in between. After all, there was no reason for him to speak even opening his mouth seemed to be meaningless. No one would ever talk to him; not a single soul.

And it was all because of his scarlet eyes. He couldn't blame anyone. The first time around was worst. Children burst into tears at sight of his eyes and huddled close to their parents while the adults would scorn and treat him violently. He still remembered the pain and dampness streaming down his forehead when a rather sharp-edged stone came in contact with his pale skin.

People called him a demon and would sometime though rarely attempted to tie him to a stake and burnt him to mere ashes but a feral growl was all it took to scare them out of their wits, leaving them cowering and bleaching under his challenging glares. Of course, there was time when that didn't really work and he was beaten quite badly. The sad news was that that occurrence had been happening quite frequently lately.

That was until he was found and brought into 'custody' as they said because his very existence threatened the peace and harmony of the town. What nonsense! As if the town could have any real peace with all that slave trading going on. It was all a mask.

However, he appreciated the act; even when it meant to lose his freedom and live twenty four hours in a cage behind the bars. It hurt a lot lesser when compared to being beaten half to death or just by receiving the scary looks from the people. Judal preferred this imprisonment. It had been a welcome reprieve.

How stupidly superstitious they were. To think that the red orbs were the mark of demon… to detest and bear hatred towards a mere child he was all those years ago. Truly, humans couldn't be even crueller. He had seen man ripping bodies apart yet they still welcomed him and treated him as equal. Meanwhile when he did nothing, he was tampered over. When he moved, he was pushed away.

What a twisted world he was living in. The life that he was having here wasn't that bad when compared to what he had gone through before. At the very least, he was guaranteed food even if it was some half graded meal. He was still content with it.

What he couldn't bear the most was the silence and loneliness of the place. Time passed by as he grew in the absence of any form of human contact. He withdrew from the society, not that he could do much being in it and lived up his name as the outcast of the society or even the world. Night after night of silent cries and tears, Judal grew tired of them all; the world, the hope of being accepted by someone and the very life he was living.

Sometimes, he would wish that he was better of death but the stubborn heart of his still beat on in his regular leaps and throbs.

Via the small cracks of the wall where light would conveniently slip through, Judal thought that it was the most luxurious gift he could have been given. Small life forms budded off the cracks and peered at him. At those times, he would admire the strong pulsing life force of the green plants and caressed them before he awoke the next morning to find them gone and he was left all alone again.

If there was one thing that he could truly and greedily lavish, it was the mysterious tune that was woven underneath the hands of a skilful artist; one that was concealed within a hollow tube, set apart by the strong breath of the flutist.

Judal could hear the familiar tune almost every night. It was mysterious and stunning but Judal knew that the tune was never for him. It could be for everyone but him. That was the unspoken rule of the world; once an outcast always an outcast. Despite that, Judal couldn't help but be a little bit selfish, persuading his broken spirit that the tune was for him and him only as the melody within the tune understood him. It touched him deep into his very core. That was the time when his hatred for life subsided into quiet acceptance.

Soon, he was torn apart mercilessly more than any physical harm could ever achieve. The mysterious tune had vanished in the air one night and it was not heard again for the subsequent nights. It made Judal uneasy. The only thing that had been holding him together was gone and he could feel himself slipping out of control, breaking down like a broken doll.

.

"Wake up! It's your lucky day, someone is here for you."

The guard hit his bar hard, sending off the loud clanging noise to the occupant of the cell. Judal paid no heed to whoever that would come for there was no one who actually cared about him, his wellbeing or his life.

The comer was as silent as he was. Judal felt unnerving as he could feel the sharp eyes inspecting him like he was some sort of exotic animal. It made Judal grit his teeth tight. Finally, the man retreated with a satisfied nod. It was until his back was facing him, Judal stared. The man was wearing a rather strange robe with its whiteness pure yet tainted with a tinge of sinister.

With one final look at him, the man left without a word like how he came in, as silent as ever. That one last look sent shiver down Judal's spine and he wondered what the man's intention behind the visit was. Whatever. He didn't really care anywhere.

That was what he wanted himself to believe in yet his mind would wander back to that nerve wrecking look; full of meaning and intention. Judal gave a whisper of curse under his breath, hating the umpteenth time for the absence of his mind calmer.

.

"Yes, how may I help you?" Jamil, the Sharif enquired methodically. The white robed man before him was silent for a moment before he stated in an explicit manner, "I want that teen below."

"Huh?" was the smartest reply Jamil gave before something clicked in his mind. "Oh! That red eyed scum."

At the nod of confirmation from the man, Jamil frowned and hesitated. "Are you sure you want it? There are tons of more valuable slaves around and that one isn't as awarding as any other."

However, the man was determined and his resolve remained firm. Jamil shrugged, not caring at all as he got to keep the money for that parasite and be rid of it at the same time. He sighed and sat back in his chair, pondering when and how he was going to get rich and leave this hellhole once in for all. If only all his other 'customers' were as gracious as this one…

.

When Judal heard that someone wished to buy him, he didn't expect to feel scared, terrified one could say. His only thought was his animal's instinct, warning him to find someone, anyone to help him or just escape as his mind was filled with that look from the man the other day before.

Those thoughts and fear were soon overtaken by his indifference and nonchalant front. He stopped worrying about his wellbeing, strange to find that he would. He stopped believing that he could actually have a decent life as he might be killed out there without anyone knowing or anyone caring. It was what he wanted. He considered. To be killed and finally be off with it all and everything would truly be over then.

That night prior his departure he was so appalled to find that tune worming its way to his ears; that very same tune that calmed him. It sounded the same without any misplace of notes and keys. It still remained in the night air, cooing at him, telling him that it was not a dream.

Judal felt so much better. All those hatred he bore and all that nervousness he felt left him as if they didn't even pop up in his mind. Tranquil filled his every vein and he closed his red eerie eyes, ignoring the droplets of tears that escaped his control and slid down until they shattered onto the cold, hard ground.

Fear and concern found their ways back to him. His chest tightened at the reminder of his departure from here the next day. Complex feelings gripped him and stood strong. For what seemed like centuries, he was reminded of his love and passion for life as he drowned in the sweet melody of the tune.

He wanted to live. Damn it. It was embarrassing but it was at the same time the truth. He was tired of rendering his life for others to control, tired of the never ending circle of virtue and tired of the choices that were ripped from him.

So, for the first time, Judal made his own choice about his own life. He ran.

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**Sorry for not updating before. I actually have no intention to continue this as I am a bit lost in plotting the whole story so well... I've you guys to thank for making me continue this. But I do have to mention that this story will be relatively shorter than Twisted 'cause of the lack of time that has been troubling me lately.**

**However, I'll try my best to update when I can so if I take too long, it'll mean that I'm trapped in between the desire to write and the need to complete my school works. So bear with me, my dear friend and I shall promise you not to abandon a story unless necessary...**

**Anyway, anyhow, I'll leave you guys to think and ponder on this chapter; who is behind the scheme? And what will happen? I shall return to update The Clock Tower on Monday or maybe a little bit earlier than that depending of the time I have.**

**P.S. Who feel like hugging poor Judal T.T (I'm the first!)**

**Thanks.**

**Love,**

_**ReneeNCC**_


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